Vehicle suspension device



.1929. E. J. PILBLAD 1,723,252

VEHICLE SUSPENS ION DEVICE Filed July 22, 1926 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 6, 1929.

E. J. PILBLAD VEHICLE SUSPENSION DEVICE Filed July 22, 1926 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 ZZ-LATTORNEY.

Aug. 6, 1929.

E. J. PILBLAD VEHICLE SUSPENSION DEVICE Filed July 22, 1926 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 VEN A TTORNE Y.

Aug. 6, 1929.

E. J. PILBLAD VEHICLE SUSPENSION DEVICE Filed July 22, 1926 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Arm/W03 24412 Patented Aug. 6, 1929.

UNITED STATES.

1 1,723,252 PATENT OFFICE.

ERIC J. PILBLitD, OF ROGKVILLE CENTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS. TO LEOPARD AUTOMOBILE PRODUCTS CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,

A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

VEHICLE SUSPENSIOII DEVICE.

Application filed July 1 326. Serial No. 124,154.

izly present invention relates to spring sup" porting devices for vehicle boi .es and it has for its object to provide an arrangement of parts which may be assembled in the form of units and interposed between the axles or running gear and the body of the vehicle, or the frame on which it is carried, to provide a form of yielding suspension which will minimize the vibration due to inequalities in the road bed and will absorb the shocks due to re bounding actions. i

A furtherimportant feature of my invention resides in providing a yielcliznqconnection between the axles an d the body, or frame, which n'iaintains the desired low center of gravity and at the same time avoids interference of the connecting.elements with the axles when relative movement-s occur under varying conditions of the load. road inequah ities. and rate of travel of the vehicle.

One of the principal features of .mv inventiou. relates to a novel means of che rebound or sudden return occurring after .ne

load spring has been (:o1'i'ipi' ssed by applying an autinnatic brake, or friction control, whirh comn'iences its action at the instant the compression load is relieved and is capable of action to a greater or less degree pro rtional to the amount of such compression hus insuring smooth and steady riding qr i\,S to the vehicle when traveling over rough and uneven To these and other ends my invention fun. l'llGE consists in certain other novel. features which are set forth more in detail :iotlie following specifi ation and particularly described in the appended claims.

in the drawings: I

s. 1 and 2 are front and rear eh-zvations, 'ectively, of one embodiment of the 'vention illustrating a SUSj'i-QtiSlOB device ap-- plied to the front and rear axles of automobile.

Figs. 8 and l: are enlarged vertical sectional elevations showing certain details of the suspension devices of the front and rear units.

5 is a plan view of a chassis showing the )ositions of the front and rear suspension levioes relatively to the vertical planes of the we axles.

Fig. 6 a longitudinal sectional View taken on the line 6 -6 of 5. i

Fig. 6 a sectional View on the line 6 6* of F 5 illustrating the frame clamping device. I

Fig. 7 is a view showing one of the suspension devices enlarged. v

' Fig. 8 is :1. view showing the rocking lever in elevation. and its bracing and suspension connections in section.

F ig. 9 is a. view looking in the direction indicated by the arrows 9 inQFig. 8, showing the manner in which the spring bearing arm is offset from the load carrying arm to effect a balance of the lever on its pivot.

Figs. 10 and 11 are detail perspective illustrations of the brake shoe and its holder, respectively.

- Fig. 12 is a sectional detail taken on the line l2 --12 of Fig. 8 showing the knife edge bearing on which the sup porting members are pivoted.

Fig. 13 is a detail side elevation of one of the framebrackets in which the arms ofthe suspension devices are pivoted. I

1 L 's an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the housing'for the rebound check spring.

Fig. 15 is a perspective view of the pressure plate.

Fig. 16 is a detail perspective view showing the pivot bolt or connection forming the main bearing for the supporting arms.

Fig. 16 is a View of the key plate which locks the pivot boltin the bracket.

Fig. 17 is detail View showing a side view and the body or the frame on which the latter is supported, and are so constructed as to facilitate their being assembled in pairs and means of connecting two such pairs of mem: bers into unitary structures, so designed that the respective front and rear units of a given type of vehicle may be quickly and easily attached to the axles and frame of such vehicle.

In carrying out my invention, the vehicle body is supported by a plurality of yielding suspension devices each of which comprises a pivoted spring-supported rocking member in the form of a bell crank lever, having a load carrying arm A, operatively connected to the axle and a spring operated arm B connected to a supporting spring C, and a rebound or check spring D. It is preferable that the vehicle should be provided with four such spring supporting devices, of which two form the connection between the front axle andthe body of the vehicle and two form the connection between the rear axle and the body of the vehicle. It is obvious of course, that under certain circumstances, the supporting devices might be placed between the body and the front axle or between it and the rear axle alone.

The supporting devices, or brackets E (Figs. 6 and 13) are disposed at one side of the vertical plane of the respective axles for the dual reason that such arrangement permits the vehicle body being supported with a low center of gravity, while also affording the requisite space between the axle and body to allow the latter to move vertically sufliciently under various conditions of load and road inequalities,-without engaging the axle in its downward movement or rising in its upwardmovement to an elevation which permits the mass to tend to pitch and sway. In practice, I dispose the supports of the front unit slightly in the rear of the front axle and those of the rear unit a short distance in front of the rear axle as shown in Fig. 5, but it will be understood that they may be otherwise located relatively to the planes of the axles indicated by the dotted lines in 5. This offsetting of the brackets E, which I consider an important part of my invention, is rendered possible by other features of the in= vention as will be explained. It will be observed that the outer ends of the load carrying arms A are hung on the perches a and are therefore in the plane of the axle, hence the brackets E carrying the fulcrum points of the levers move vertically in a different plane. The torsional strain thus set up I obviate by offsetting the lever arm B, or spring operating arm, to obtain aload balance which reduces the friction to a minimum.

The brackets E I provide with transversely I extending pins 1, passing through the hubs of the rocking members and having their lower portions cut away to provide an inverted trough shape face in which rocks the knife edge of a segmental member 2 secured in the hub by means of a screw 3.

The bracket members E are made in the form shown in Figs. .6 and 7, those for the forward unit being mounted at opposite ends of a cross bar or beam F, and those for the rear unit secured to the beam G which is of slightly different shape. Each bracket memher is pressed from sheet meta and is riveted or otherwise suitably attached to its cross bar. In the form shown, these brackets are formed with side walls aand 5 and a connecting side panel 6, which together constitute a U shape member fitting between the edges of the channel beams F and G. The side panel 6 may be formed with a flange 7, which at its upper edge is bent inwardly for engagement with the end of the bar. The side walls 4 and 5 are fo med with the apertures 8 which receive and support the ends of the pin 1, and in order to prevent the latter from rotating, these apertures are given mental shapes corresponding to the ends 9 of the pin 1, whereby the hearing when a bled between the side men'ibers 4. a1 will be held in position thereby and prevented from turning with respect thereto.

The pin 1 is locked securely to the bracket by causing one of its segmental ends to pro jeot laterally and securing to the bracket wall a plate P, such as shown in Fig. 16, having an end which is recessed to novide a finger 9 which will extend over the pin and a lip 10 which will project into a slot or transverse keyway formed in the pin.

To give additional support to the unit structure, the lower parts of the two front brackets E are connected by a tie rod 11 and other tie rods 12 connect the lower extremities of the rear pair of brackets with a central bolt 13 on the cross bar G. Each oi the brackets E is formed with ears 14 supporting bolts 15 connected to the tie rods, said bolts also serving as the means of securing the key plates 1. 4

The body supporting or load carrying spring 0 is of substantial size, designed to resist the relative movement of api iroach of the vehicle body and axles. it is meiu ed at its inner end on a seat 1, which is in the form of a washer bearing against the ends or panels 6 of the brackets E and having a pcripheral flange within which the end of the spring fits. Bearing against the outerend of the spring C is a dished spi plate or washer 17, through which a tie rod H extends. The rods H of the forward units are prrwideil with heads h and those of the rear imits are provided with sleeve nuts h. The washers bearing against the outer extremities of the springs are dished to provide semi-spherical seats to receive the correspondingly for-ine t inner faces of the heads 7L and it so that the rods H will always lie in the axes of the springs.

iSO

The inner end of the tie rod H extends through a slot 19 in the head 20 of the arm 13 of the rocking member, and is connected to said head through an instrun'ientality which provides a rolling rocking 4 connection formed by rollers 20 lying in semi-circular recesses in the bifurcations of the head 20. Bearing against these rollers is a pressure plate 21 (Fig. on the rod H, held in place by the tension nut 22. This plate is PI'OVlllOLl with ears 21 which hold the roller 2 a in position.

The rebound, or check spring D is designed to resist movement or the head oi? the arm B in the reverse direction to that in which it is resisted by the supporting spring C, and

D with a tube 25 having an internal abut side of the wall 6 ot' the bracket to effect economy in place as well as for convenience in operation, the rebound checking spring is preferably located within the supporting spring C, its outer end being supported by a shoulder 01' a from the bracket E. I

In order to utilize the space .vithin the load spring C for the accommodation of thecherk spring D and thus obtain a compact ar ment oi the parts, I also surround the sprifi ment at its outer end with. which this spring engages and an external shoulder, or abut- ;es the inner 13 through which its extends. These shoulders or abutments on the tube are preferably formed by slitting the tube wall and stril-:ing up be s near its ends, those at its inner end be...1g thrown outwardly, as indicated by 26, and

ment, at its inner end which en those at its outer end being struck inwardly, I v

curved as indicated at 29, and resting thereas indicated by 27. Bearing against the inwardly projecting bosses is a thrust plate 28, forming a seat for the outer end of spring D, which is provided with an opening of sutlicient diameter to ermit lateral movement of the rod H as wel as its longitudinal movement therethrough.

There are several points in the manner in which I have designed the parts and assembled them, to which attention is direc as they contribute to the practicability ot the device and its service ability under he severe conditions to which suspension do es are subjected when a vehicle traverses ren roads at high speed. The load or supporting spring C is necessarily of heavy construc tion and since it extends horizontallyits outer end, it unsupported will have a tendency to sway. This is overcome of course to a cer tain extent by the rod H on which the spring exerts a continuous pressure, but this in itselif is insufiicient to meet the more severe condi: tions and for this reason I have provided a guide and support for the rod intermeits ends.

The rebound spring D at its outer end fits closely withinthe tube 25 against the shoulder or abutment plate 28 therein. An inner spring J closely fits the rod H and the wire, or spring rod, from which said spring is coiled. is of such a cross-section that its convolutions exactly till the space surrounding the rod H, and the inner circumference of the spring D, thus not only serving as a guide for the red but also serving to prevent the spring D from buckling under pressure or swaying under the transverse jars imparted to it. The spring J may also be made of such length and tension that it will come into play to increase the frictional resistance of the brake shoe 30 against the face 29 at any desired point in the movement oflever B.

It will be noted that the outermost convo lution of the spring D fits the tube 25 snugly and forms a fulcrum point about which the rod H moves, slightly due to the rocking of its inner end and to permit such movement to occur l'reely, I taper the tube 25 so that it slightly larger at its inner end. This torination of the tube also permits its larger end which tits the interior of spring C to serve as the means for centering it on the bracket E, and as the tube decreases gradually in size toward i. outer end, the succeeding convoiutions of spring C do not engage therewith.

The rebound check spring D performs a dual function in. that it opposes the movement of the spring bearing arms 13 of the lever connecting member and also automatically applies the brake device which is interposed between it and the arm B and controls the braking action in proportion to the amplitude of movement of the lever.

The face of the end 20 of the arm B is on is an arcuate shaped brake shoe 30, (Fig. 10) having rearwardly extending flanges 31. The shoe is also provided with a series ot' per i erations 32, inwhich plugs of suitable absorbent material are secured for the purpose of carrying a lubricant that will be sufiicient to prevent the parts from binding when under severe pressures. The shoe is sup ported by a. backing member or plate 33, (Fig. 11) which fits between the flanges 31. This plate is similarly curved at its edges to rest against the shoe and at its center is provided with a collar 34 and a raised portion 34; forming a seat for the inner endoit the rebound check spring D.

From the arrangen'ient ot the parts ust de+ scribed, it will be seen that as the lever connecting member is rotated on its fulcrum point, either by the upward movement of the axle or by the downward movement of the vehicle body, that the arm B is rotated inwardly toward the longitudinal. axis of the vehicle in a direction to compress the load spring C, by drawing the connecting rod H inwardly. This movement oi? the arm B is followed by the expansion of the spring D which holds the brake shoe S in engagement with the face of the lever 29. Upon reaching the limit or its movement, the arm B immediately commences to travel in the opposite direction; The spring, D is normally under sl ght compression, hence there is a normal braking action to the initial inward movement of the arm B so that the take up on the load spring is a gradual one at the beginning, and as the take up increases the braking eilect is lessened as the spring D expands. However, as the compression of the latter is such that its pressure is never wholly released it will be seni that as the lever B begins to return toward its normal position, it against a'resistance sui'licient to render its movement smooth and that such resistance continually increases hence at the moment the lever B passes its normal position, in returning or rebounding, under the influence of the load spring C, it will be seen that the braking action has become enormously increased due to the further compression of the rebound spring D and In Fig. 17 I have shown the brake shoe 80 in the form of a casting which is preterahly of bronze.

The apparatus described is adapted to be inserted between the front and rear axles of a vehicle and the body or frame on which it is supported, the former expression being suliiciently comprehensive to include the la ter so that these expressions will be understood to be synonymous or equivalent terms wherever used. In Fig. the frame is shown as comprising the rails or side pieces 36236, the front bolster 01 ClOS$ piece 37, and similar rear connecting member 38, all of which are usually constructed by channels. The front. bolster in the type of frame shown curvesdownwardly and the rear bolster is arch shaped.

The cross bar F of the front unit is made or 1 ressed steel and has a central portion 89 that is channel shaped to fit within the channel of the bolster 37 to which it is rigidly bolted by a clevisdO which straddles the bolster, its ends passing through apertures in the ear 39 and in the body of the cross bar The bar F, it will be observed, is On- Set on a plane coincident with the lower edge of the bolster 37 and in such a position that its rear edge fits againstthe'bottom of the forward edge of the usual engine crank case, indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 6, or some other support which may be provided to firmly brace the bar at its center.

The rear unit is secured tor-min"- cross bar G as an arch shaped hann l w' horizontal extremities which lie beneath the longitudinal frame pieces 36-86. Qnthese ends of the member G are box shaped clamping pieces 41 extending within the channels oi the flanges ll and al the former being short or than the latter and adapted to e. lower rail of a channel piece. These ing bones are each secured by a bolt e2 tothe bar G, and positioned on these colts and within the bones il are positioning lugs l3 whic the inner edges of the :li'i

and center the rear suspension unit indepcndentl the devices el-l by which it is rigidly secured, the positioning lugs l3 also extend rearwardly from be oath the bones ll, and the adjacent oi the frame pie e to anchor the'ends Oi the cross bar G the vehicle frame. At the'center of the bar G and secured by the bolt 18 is a laterally exbracket -l-l having oilsot angularly nosed tacos ell hrough which pass the i ll shaped clamping bolts 1-5 which no the frame bolster 38.

oad carrying extremities of each of er arms or supporting members, A are J connected to the two axles by shackles rear axles are designed to utilize the perches a, provided for the usual springs with which ant nobile manufacturers equip their auto- 'inaily and with the further idea a the center oi gravity of the supod x as low as possible, and certainly ier than that provided by the manufacinstances where the sus ension units istituted for the original sets of tnc arr ngement of units of the form I ha e ZllllStl'dlcCl four points of yielding susprovided located at the outer corvehrcle irame each or which operor sue; complementary action as may occur, so that road shocks oi minor character en countered by the vehicle wheels separately will be absorbed by the suspension device adjacent such wheel.

By extending the several load carrying rms A inwardly from their points of connect-ion at. the ends of the axles and leading them laterally over the tops of the axles to fulcrum points on the frame or body located ZlQiJfiCGEIi bu out of the vertical planes of aid aides, I

. V ble to obtain the benefit or" long load carng arms and proportionally long ns -ardeziterding spring connecting arms without the body of the vehicle, as the fulcrum being; oils-ct from the axles are free to \e any extent permitted by the springs being otherwise limited. by

and without striking the axles.

AS many changes could be made in the above described construction, and many apparently widely different embodiments ot niy invention constructed within the scope of the claims, without departing from the spirit or scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in theaccompanying specifications and drawings shall be interpreted in an illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

other ways.

The invention having been described, what is claimed as new and desired to besecured by Letters Patent is as follows 1. In a yielding supporting mechanism for vehicles, the combination with a body frame and an axle, of two bell crank levers, fulcrumed onthe body frame in a plane at one side of the axle havin relatively long horizontal and short vertical arms, the former extending over the opposite ends of the axle to their points of connection therewith and curved to permit their fulcrums to pass below the top of the axle at one side thereof, said short arms having their upper extremities offset from the fulcrums in a direction away from the axle a distance proportional to their lengths, which is equal to the proportion be tween the off-set of the ends of the longer arms and their lengths, and springs cooperating with the frame and extending trans- ,versely thereof in alignment with the extremities' of the short arms.

'2. The combination with a vehicle frame and an axle, of a cross member on the frame at one side of the vertical plane of the axle, bearing brackets depending from said memher having load carrying journals, of hell crank levers pivoted on said journals comprising load carrying arms extending outwardly and laterally over the axles and pivoted thereon, and upwardly extending spring bearing arms, springs carried by the cross member and connections between the springs and said upwardly extending arms yieldingly supporting the weight of the vehicle frame. a

3. The combination with an axle, a vehicle frame, and means for yieldingl connecting said parts comprising a pivote lever and a load spring resisting movement of the lever in one direction, of a rebound spring and a friction device engaging the lever and acted upon by the last mentioned spring.

4:. In a device of thecharacter described, comprising supporting and supported members, the combination with a lever pivoted to each and a spring acting on the lever to support the load carried by the lever, of a res ing on the lever to yieldingly sup ort the load carried by the lever, a reboun spring engaging the lever under varying tension in accordance with its position and a frictional brake member engaging the lever and actuated by said rebound spring.

6. In vehicle supportin devices,'the combination with a bell cran lever for attachment to a vehicle body, having a load carrying arm adapted to be connected to a vehicle axle and comprising a spring carrying arm, aspring cooperating therewith and yieldingly supporting said arm and the weight of the vehicle body, a brake device frictionally bearing against the last mentioned arm and means for increasing such friction upon movement of the arm in one direction. I

7. A yielding supporting connectionbetween a vehicle axle and a vehicle body comprising a lever and compression and expansion springs cooperating with the lever to oppose its movement in opposite directions, a braking device cooperatln with the lever and actuated by one of sai springs.

8. A yielding supporting connection between a vehicle axle and vehicle body comprising alever, compression and expansion springs yieldingly opposing the movement of the lever in opposite directions, a brake shoe engaging the lever and actuated by the expansion springs to exert a continuous pressure during movement of the lever and an increasing pressure upon its movement in one direction. 9. A yielding supporting connection between a vehicle axle and vehicle body comprising a bell crank lever, compresslon and expansion springs engaging one end of the lever and yieldingly opposing its movement in opposite directions, a brake shoe interposed between the expansion spring and said end of the lever and serving to exert a retarding action in the direction of the movement of the lever in which the expansion spring is compressed.

10. A yielding supporting connection between a vehicle axle and vehicle body coming upon opposite sides thereof to oppose its movement in opposite directions, a braking device engaging said lever and actuated by one spring to retard the movement of the lever on its pivot in both directions and to automatically increase such retardation upon its continued movement in the direction which compresses the expansion spring.

1.1. A yielding supporting connection adapted for use between a vehicle axle and vehicle body comprising a lever, a com ression load spring acting on one side 0 the lever, a rebound spring acting upon the opposite side of the lever, a braking device actuated by the rebound spring to oppose the movement of the lever in a direction in which a knife edge bearing member can the load onthe compression spring leased.

12. A yielding connection adapted to be used between supported and supporting -1nembe1's arranged for rela ive movement comprising a lever pivoted to both members andsprings connected to one of the members .and operating on the lever to oppose the relative movement of said members, a braking device cooperating with the lever and actuatedzby one of the springs to retard the action imparted to said lever by the movement of load spring and an expansion spring carried by the body and arranged to cooperate with saidhead to oppose movement of the lever in opposite directions and a curved brake shoe lying between the'friction surface on the head and said expansion spring.

14. In a device of the character thecombination with a support,

of a'journal pin carried by the su a bearing face receiving the knife edge.

15. In a device of the character described, the-combination with a bracket havirg side pieces, and a lever pivoted between th n ha ing a journal. aperture, of a bearing the lever comprising a stationery pin car:

the side pieces of the bracket and a member attached to the lever and resting in rocking engagement with the pin and means for curing the pin to the bracket.

16. "In a vehicle suspension device the "bination witha vehicle frame, a frame extending thereacross and a ached th brackets at theends of the it one piece having downwardly extending side piec s, and leverspivoted on the latter having :liured extremities of springs hearing at one end against the brackets, tie rods extending through the springs and the apertures in the lovers and connecting the outer ends of the springs to said levers.

17. In a device of the character des the combination with a bracket, a is ournaled-thereon having a head provided with an aperture and a spring having one end seated on the bracket, of a tie rod est nding through the lever and connected to the outer end of the spring and a roller interposed be- "tween the end of the lever, and the contiguous end of the rod.

18. In a device of the character described he combination with a support, a pivoted "lever and a spring resting at one end against the support, of a depressed bearing face on the side of the lever away from the spring,

a roller engaging therewith and a tensiou'rod engaging the roller and the outer end ofthc spring. I

19. In a device of the character described the combination with a support, a pivoted lever having an apertured end provided with depressed bearing faces on one edge at opposite sides of the aperture and rollers resting therein, of a pressure member-resting against the. rollers of a spring hearing at one end against'the support, and a tension rod connecting the outer end of the spring with the pressure member. 20. In a device ofthe character described the combination with a support, a spring eX- tending outwardly therefrom and a lever piv- (oted on the support having a bearing face .on its side away from the spring, of a roller resting thereon, a pressure member engaging the roller and adjustable tension connections between said memberand the outer end of the spring. 7 21. In a vehicle suspension devicethe combination with a support having offset external and internal spring seats, and a pivoted lever'havino' an end in alinement with said seats, of a load spring havingits inner end resting against the external seat, a rebound spring resting with its outer end against said inner seat, means connecting the outer end of the load spring with the remotesideof the lever and a friction member located between the inner end of-the rebound spring and the contiguous side of the lever.

22. In a spring suspension device for veied by hicles, the con'ihination wit-ha support having an external spring seat, a tubular extension. on said support facing an offsetinternal spring scat, aload spring having its inner end re. -i g on the external seat and a rebound spring within said tube, of a pivoted lever havingan aperturedend lying in the axes of-said springs, a tiered connecting the outer end ofrthe load spring with the opposite side of the lever and a friction member located between the inner end ofthe-rebound spring and the proximate face of the lever.

23. lna springsuspension device for vehicles, the combination with a bracket having an apertured side wall and an external spring seat, a load spring having'itsinner end resting thereon, a tubular extension projecting t irough the aperture into said spring and a rebound spring located in the tube, of a lever pivoted on the bracket having an aperture head located in alinement with said springs, rod extending through the springs and the head of the lever and connecting therearside of the latterwith the outer end of the load spring, a friction device between the forward ing thereon, a tapered tubular extension pr0- jecting through the aperture into said spring having an apertured spring seat at its outer end, and a rebound spring located. in the tube, of a lever pivoted 0n the bracket having an upertured head located in aiineinent with said springs, a rod extending through the springs and the head of the lever and connecting the rear side of the latter with the outer end of the load spring, a friction device between the forward side of the lever head and a filler spring surrounding the rod Within the rebound spring.

This specification signed an d witnessed this. 2- th day of July, 1926.

ERIC J. PILBLAD. 

